If you grew up in the 90s, you didn't just watch Happy Gilmore. You lived it. You probably spent at least one Saturday afternoon at a driving range trying—and failing—to do that ridiculous running start swing. It’s been decades since the movie hit theaters in 1996, yet the characters are still basically lodged in our collective brains.
But who was in Happy Gilmore, really?
Sure, we all know it’s the definitive Adam Sandler movie. But when you look back, the cast is a bizarre, lightning-in-a-bottle mix of legendary tough guys, game show hosts, and actors who were just about to become massive stars. Honestly, if you swapped out even one of these people, the movie might have just been another forgotten sports comedy instead of a cult classic.
The Core Players: More Than Just a Goofball in a Hockey Jersey
At the center of the storm is Adam Sandler as Happy. This was the role that proved Billy Madison wasn't a fluke. Happy is a failed hockey player with a "slapshot" golf drive and a temper that would make a drill sergeant flinch. Sandler brings that specific 90s brand of man-child energy that he basically patented.
But he needed a foil. Enter Christopher McDonald as Shooter McGavin.
📖 Related: Despicable Me 2 Edith: Why the Middle Child is Secretly the Best Part of the Movie
Can we talk about how perfect McDonald is? He plays Shooter with this oily, desperate arrogance that makes you want to throw a remote at the screen. Interestingly, McDonald actually turned the role down twice. He was tired of playing the villain. It wasn't until he met Sandler and realized how much fun the project would be that he signed on. Now, he’s basically the patron saint of sports movie antagonists.
Then there’s the heart of the movie: Carl Weathers as Chubbs Peterson.
Weathers was already an icon from the Rocky films and Predator. Seeing him pivot to comedy as a one-handed golf pro was a stroke of genius. The "wooden hand" bit—a callback to his arm being ripped off in Predator—is legendary. Weathers brought a weird, grounded sweetness to the film that balanced out the screaming. Sadly, with Weathers' passing in 2024, the recently released Happy Gilmore 2 on Netflix had to pivot, making sure to pay tribute to his legacy rather than trying to replace him.
The Supporting Cast: A 90s Time Capsule
The depth of this cast is kinda wild when you look at it through a modern lens.
👉 See also: Death Wish II: Why This Sleazy Sequel Still Triggers People Today
- Julie Bowen (Virginia Venit): Long before she was the frazzled Claire Dunphy on Modern Family, she was the PR director for the golf tour. She’s the straight-woman to Sandler’s chaos. Her name, Virginia Venit, started Sandler’s "V.V." naming tradition for his love interests (think Veronica Vaughn or Vicki Vallencourt).
- Frances Bay (Grandma Gilmore): She was the ultimate "sweet old lady" of 90s cinema. You might remember her from Seinfeld (the Marble Rye lady) or Blue Velvet. In Happy Gilmore, she’s the entire reason the plot exists—Happy has to save her house from the IRS.
- Richard Kiel (Mr. Larson): The man was a giant, literally. Standing over seven feet tall, the former James Bond villain (Jaws) plays Happy’s former boss. His primary job in the movie is to loom over Shooter McGavin and yell about "Frankenstein's" feet.
- Kevin Nealon (Gary Potter): Sandler’s SNL buddy plays the "Zen" golfer who is way too into the spiritual side of the game. It’s a small role, but his delivery of "You're gonna die, clown!" is burned into my brain.
The Cameos That Stole the Show
You can't discuss who was in Happy Gilmore without mentioning the cameos. These weren't just "blink and you miss it" moments; they were the funniest parts of the film.
Bob Barker is the obvious heavyweight here. The legendary host of The Price is Right getting into a full-on fistfight with Adam Sandler on a golf course shouldn't work. It should be cringey. Instead, it won the first-ever MTV Movie Award for Best Fight. Fun fact: Barker only agreed to do the movie if he got to win the fight. He actually studied martial arts under Chuck Norris, so when he tells Happy, "The price is wrong, bitch," he actually looks like he knows how to throw a punch.
Then there's the uncredited Ben Stiller. He plays Hal L., the sadistic nursing home orderly. "You're in my world now, Grandma." Stiller’s star was rising fast in 1996, but he took this small, mean-spirited role for the hell of it. It’s arguably one of the best "secret" cameos in comedy history.
Finally, we have Lee Trevino. He’s a real-life golf legend. He doesn't say much—mostly just stands there shaking his head in disbelief at Happy’s antics. Trevino later joked that he might not have done the movie if he’d known how much cursing was in it, but his presence gave the "pro tour" part of the movie just enough legitimacy to make the jokes land.
✨ Don't miss: Dark Reign Fantastic Four: Why This Weirdly Political Comic Still Holds Up
Why the Casting Still Works Today
The magic of Happy Gilmore is that nobody is "winking" at the camera. Christopher McDonald plays Shooter like he's in a Shakespearean tragedy. Carl Weathers plays Chubbs with total sincerity, even when he's talking about an alligator biting his hand off.
It works because the stakes feel real, even when the situations are absurd.
If you're looking to revisit this world, Happy Gilmore 2 (2025) recently hit Netflix, and it's a massive nostalgia trip. Most of the original crew returned, including Sandler, McDonald, and Julie Bowen. It even adds new faces like Travis Kelce, Bad Bunny, and Margaret Qualley to the mix, plus a slew of modern PGA stars like Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler.
How to Deep Dive Into the Happy Gilmore Universe:
- Watch the 1996 Original first: Seriously, the timing and 90s grain of the original can't be beat. Pay attention to the "Otto" character (played by Allen Covert)—he’s in almost every Sandler movie in some form.
- Check out the 2025 Sequel on Netflix: It deals with the "LIV Golf vs. PGA" drama in a very Sandler way and provides a touching tribute to Carl Weathers.
- Look for the "V.V." Pattern: If you're a movie nerd, watch Billy Madison, The Waterboy, and Little Nicky back-to-back. You'll see how the Virginia Venit character set the blueprint for every Sandler love interest for the next decade.
- Visit the Locations: If you’re ever in British Columbia, the Furry Creek Golf & Country Club is where the Bob Barker fight was filmed. They even renamed the hole "Happy's Hole."
The cast of Happy Gilmore wasn't just a group of actors getting a paycheck. They were a collection of pros who understood that to make a "dumb" comedy work, you have to play it incredibly smart. That’s why we’re still talking about Shooter McGavin thirty years later.